Closer than Ever
by beccazsongs
Summary: The sudden death of Chad's parents leaves Chad with no one to turn to but Sonny. As the two grow unexpectedly close through Chad's loss, they begin to realize that what appears to be just a simple car accident is much, much more. Mystery/Romance/Channy
1. Dead

_**So this if my first fan fic! Sorry the first chapter is pretty short and kinda crappy… sorry for any mistakes or inconsistencies! The next chap will be better, hopefully. I'll do another one if I get enough reviews. PLEASE review, even if it's just a few words. It doesn't even have to make sense. I just want to know if you like it **__****_

_**Thanks guys, and enjoy the first chapter! :) **_

Sonny opened her book, read a sentence, then closed it again. Her gaze danced back to her cell phone, resting beside her on the couch.

Why wouldn't Chad call her back?

Sonny sighed, picking up her phone and quickly texting: "where r u?" to Chad.

She rolled over impatiently on her couch, hoping her phone would buzz with a new message.

But that message didn't come.

She got up and left the dressing room, praying that Chad's phone had died and that he was safely in the cafeteria. When she went into the lunchroom, she was left with nothing but disappointment.

"Where's Chad?" She ran over to Tawni, nearly shaking her shoulders. "Do you know where he went?!"

Tawni set down her frozen yogurt and stared at Sonny. "Why do you even care?"

Sonny gulped, trying to come up with an excuse. Tawni was right. Why DID she care that Chad had gotten a call over the intercom of a "family emergency" and had to leave the studio immediately? She and Chad weren't even friends. They hated each other.

So why did it bother her so much that he was gone?

"I… I _don't_ care," Sonny murmured, more to herself than to Tawni. "I just wanted to know if he was okay, and stuff. You know. If his… family emergency was sorted out and all."

Tawni narrowed her eyes, slowly taking a bite of Nico and Grady's favorite food. "I don't know. I don't pay much attention to the Falls," she said, tossing her perfect hair over her shoulder and reapplying her lip gloss after another bite of frozen yogurt.

"Neither do I!" Sonny protested, but Tawni had already stood up and left the cafeteria.

She glanced around the cafeteria and saw another one of the Falls' members- Portlyn. She decided to casually sit down next to her, seeing as she was alone without Chad there.

"Uh, hey Portlyn!" Sonny said, sitting down beside the quiet girl as though it were an every day occasion. "Do you… know what happened to Chad?"

Portlyn stared at her untouched tray of food. "Um… no. I was wondering if- if you knew." Portlyn breathed heavily, as if every word she spoke was painful to say. "He didn't say what happened…. He just took off." She sighed. "As usual."

Sonny glanced sympathetically at her rival. "I'm sorry…. I just wanted to know what happened to him."

Portlyn's eyes flickered with suspicion for a split second, then turned back to the same, sad expression she always wore. "I asked around, but nobody knew. All Chad got was a phone call from a family member."

Sonny laced her left hand in her right, fiddling with her fingers like she usually did when she was in an awkward situation.

"I wonder what happened," she said, thinking aloud.

Portlyn turned to her, looking puzzled, then nodding. "Yeah, me too. Wonder."

They sat in silence for a few moments, then seemed to realize all of a sudden what they were doing- a Random and a Falls sitting together? It was unheard of.

"Uh, I uh, gotta…uh…" Sonny stood up with her tray, hoping she could come up with some excuse to get away.

"Yeah, me too…. I…uh…"

The girls looked at each other for a second, then turned and ran out of the cafeteria, equally upset about Chad's sudden disappearance.

*

Sonny flipped open her phone for the millionth time that morning. It had been over a day and a half since Chad's "family emergency" and she was starting to get worried. What if something serious had happened? What if someone had gotten hurt?

She paced back and forth in the dressing room, her hands locked behind her back, when Tawni threw open the door to the dressing room and charged over to her makeup desk.

"I don't see why you're so upset about Chad," Tawni said, applying mascara.

"What? I'm not upset!" Sonny said in a high voice. She cleared her throat, sounding deeper. "I uh, I mean… I'm not upset."

Tawni shot her a look in the mirror. "Sonny, you need to stop obsessing about him."

"I'm NOT obsessing! He CLEARLY had some sort of emergency! I would be this… er, concerned if it had happened to ANYONE, Tawni, even you."

This stopped Tawni in her tracks, her lipstick in midair. She whirled around on her stool and stared Sonny right in the eyes.

"Look, Sonny, the rehearsal's in twenty minutes. If you don't get your act together by then, we're just going to do the show without you. Go ahead, go off looking for Mr. Chad Dylan Cooper! See how Marshall feels about THAT."

Tawni leaned back in her chair, satisfied with her small outburst.

"He's not a PUPPY, Tawni, he hasn't gone MISSING." Sonny stopped. "Well, I guess, in a sense he has. But you're right, I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about. Chad just needs to take care of some family matters and he'll be back here real soon."

Tawni narrowed her eyes. "Are you convincing me or yourself?"

Sonny glared at her. "YOU, obviously!"

She grabbed her purse off the back of the chair. "Come on, we've got a rehearsal to get to."

*

Sonny walked into the prop house, trying not to think about Chad when she saw a shadow of someone near the coffin.

"Zora, come on, rehearsal in five!" she called in the direction of the mummy.

The figure turned around and stepped out into the light.

Sonny gasped. "CHAD!" She ran towards him, having the inexplicable urge to throw her arms around him and tell him how happy she was that he was back. But, of course, she pushed the urge down deep into the depths of her stomach and kept her distance.

Chad sighed, looking unhappy and upset. Truly, truly upset. Not just "actor" upset, but really troubled.

He collapsed onto the couch with Sonny beside him.

"Hi, Sonny," he said wearily. "I've had a rough day."

"Chad, what happened?" Sonny's brown eyes widened in genuine concern for her enemy.

He sighed again, leaning forward and running his fingers through his hair.

"There… there was a car accident," he whispered, staring at the floor.

Sonny held her breath, waiting in anticipation of Chad's answer.

"My parents…" His voice broke away as he fought back tears. He stopped a moment, recovering himself, before continuing, "My parents… they're…"

Sonny heard the word before he even said it. She grabbed his shoulders and hugged him with all her might, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"It'll be alright, Chad, I'm so, so, sorry…" she kept whispering, repeating the sentence over and over in a failing attempt to comfort the teen heart throb. "It'll be alright…"

He hugged her back, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"Sonny, we need you for the rehearsal, right n-"

Nico froze in the entrance of the prop house upon seeing the heartbreaking image. He slowly backed away, muttering to himself, "Never mind."

Sonny and Chad ignored Nico.

"It'll be alright…" she said softly, running her hand down his leather jacket-clad back.

"I just don't see how," he whispered back. "I don't…"

_**SOOOOOO what'd you think? Drop me a review PLEASE! They make my day. If you guy like it, let me know and I'll continue it! Peace out SUCKAAAAAAS**_


	2. Back Home

_**And now, for chapter two…**_

Sonny paced back and forth in the prop house while Chad stared sat on the couch, staring blankly into space.

"Do you want me to take you home?" She asked, coming over to sit by him on the couch at last. "You know… make you dinner and stuff?"

He didn't look at her, but with a slight shake of his head nodded.

"Okay. Come on." Sonny bit her lip and helped him up off the couch, out into the parking lot, and into the passengers' seat. She knew Marshall was going to be furious with her for missing a rehearsal- she had never missed one in her entire life. But surely he would understand that she HAD to miss this one! Chad's parents were DEAD. She needed to be there for him, because she knew no one else would be. Even though they were enemies, or so she thought, she felt as though she needed to take care of him.

Sure, Chad had Portlyn. They were pretty close. But Portlyn was so rich that Sonny was sure that she couldn't cook dinner, and wouldn't bother to give him a ride home. Chad couldn't cook either, to save his life. The stars of the Falls had their own personal chefs at the studio that Sonny had come across. She used to be bitter about that, but now she was – almost – thankful that she had been taught how to cook in case something like this came up.

As they pulled up to the gate of Chad's mansion, he mumbled a password into the over the top security system, which let them in.

Sonny held Chad's hand as they walked into the mansion together.

It was completely dark. She fumbled for a light, and when it came on, she saw the eeriness of the upstairs.

"It's… empty…" Chad whispered, for the first time realizing that he was coming home to an empty home. A home without his parents.

Sonny wanted to start crying at how heartbreaking the whole situation was, but she kept her cool. She managed to get Chad to sit on his living room couch while she made some dinner.

"What do you want?" she asked, opening up the pantry which was as big as her entire bedroom.

"Dudn't…matt'er," Chad said, slurring the words together like a disabled person.

But, Sonny realized, he WAS disabled. He was an orphan.

Sonny managed to throw two salmons in the oven and warmed up a loaf of French bread. She was starting on the salad when Chad appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

He shielded his face to hide the redness as he passed by her. Sonny followed him with her gaze until he collapsed into a barstool on the opposite end of the kitchen.

"It's too lonely in there," he said at last. "I don't want to be alone."

Sonny left the lettuce in the sink and came over to Chad, rubbing his shoulder. "You won't be," she said quietly, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "I'm here for you."

"I don't want to hurt your feelings, Sonny," Chad began, his voice much higher than normal. "But… you're not my family."

Sonny nodded, not offended. "I know, Chad… but I'm going to do my best to BE family to you. If… If you'll let me."

He didn't say anything for a long while. He rested his head against her shoulder. Finally, he cleared his throat and looked at her for the first time since the accident, right in the eyes.

"I'd like that, Sonny Monroe."

_**More coming soon! Hopefully tomorrow I'll have another chapter up. :)**_


	3. Letter from Dad

_**And now…**_

_**When last we left our heroes…**_

Sonny and Chad stood in that position for a long time- Chad sitting in the barstool with Sonny standing next to him. They were in a hug that lasted a century… or so it seemed.

After several minutes, Sonny reluctantly pulled away.

"I better text my mom so she knows where I am," she said hesitantly, reaching for her purse on the counter and taking out her cell phone. She tapped a few of the keys, then led Chad over to the couch.

"Come on, tiger, let's sit over here so we can talk," she said. "That is… if you WANT to talk."

Chad nodded, following Sonny over to the couch. They sat together for a few moments, neither saying anything.

Chad finally broke the silence.

"Sonny…" he began, opening his mouth and closing it again. "I want to… to tell you something."

Sonny looked into Chad's eyes, trying her best not to get lost in the deep pools of blue. "Uh huh… what is it?"

"My dad… right before he died…" Chad's voice cracked on the last word. He looked at the ground and regained his composure. "Right before they left on their trip, he gave me something."

Sonny's eyes glinted, intrigued. "Yeah?"

Chad slid his coat off, revealing a skin tight black t-shirt. On his wrist, however, was a sleek silver watch.

Sonny gasped. "That's beautiful! But also very…"

"Expensive, yeah, I know." Chad stared down at the watch. "He told me to never take it off. It was his great-grandfather's watch. I guess it's been in the family for a long, long time. And… he gave me one more thing."

Chad reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled manila envelope. There was a piece of paper inside. He handed the sheet to Sonny, who read it aloud quietly.

_**Chad,**_

_**You're a young man now. I can trust you with this watch because I can trust you. You're not the child you used to be. And because of that, I wanted to tell you some things. These are things that would have been nice to know in the beginning, but that I couldn't have understood or appreciated then (at least as much as I do now). Things personal to me but universal. Basically things that you've got to live and trip on to get. You don't have to agree with everything I say. I wouldn't want you to. These are just little bits of my ideas of life at this precious moment, many of which are flawed, incomplete, or downright ridiculous in nature. Whatever. I'm still learning. I will never stop learning.**_

_**Okay.**_

_**Listen son.**_

_**Talk to your parents. Don't let your worries rot inside you. They don't belong. You're not the first person to slap yourself in the face when your eyelids have given up lying in bed clutching the cell phone that that pretty girl whispers through. You're not the only one who has changed their mind 5 times within the last month about what they wanna be when they grow up. Mom and Dad lived through such things and excelled. You only have four brief years left to be with them as a child. If you just obey them you will escape a lot of hurt. They are your floaties in the deep end. If you get bold and try and swim all on your own, when you sink they'll grab you.**_

_**Look at your teacher when they speak, and everyone for that matter. You might not hear what they are saying all the time, but you will learn just as much from seeing them.**_

_**Don't ogle at girls too much. You already know they're beautiful. You don't need a reminder. And don't talk so much. You'll get excited and say things that sound stupid when you remember them a week later. But go ahead and laugh. You'll discover that most of your problems are funny. Smile a lot too. Look around and you'll realize you can be happy if you want. You don't need to care about pop culture. Your life is plenty interesting. If you're not careful facebook will eat your joy. TV is lame and Youtube will kill you. Remember to be wary with your music, don't let it rule you. Sometimes I'd be all giddy and pop in some rock while doing my trigonometry. It's strange but afterwards I'd feel upset and mad for no reason. It took me several years to realize it (I was a dumby), that I didn't need sounds to bring me down. You should also read things that inspire you, like Dostoevsky or Homer. If the book brings you down, makes you angry at your friends or family, scrap it, it's no good for you. Nothing is worth being angry with anyone. Eat bad food. That way you can appreciate your Mother more. You can sing and dance whenever and wherever you want. You have much to celebrate. When you have one, think of your wife a lot. Prepare yourself for her. She's so pretty and she's thinking of you too. Look out for the little ones. Some of my best friends were little kids. They grow up and get real beautiful.**_

_**Wierdos are fine people. They have a lot to teach you. Druggies are nice just like you. What I'm trying to say is, most everyone has good in them. They may be a little confused for now, but it's alright. I am confused too. People just want to be happy. Everybody loves, even if it's only ourselves, or booze, or pain. We're all just yearning for goodness. I used to have English class with this girl Lindsay. As the year went by I realized she was beautiful. One day she read a story she wrote about how much she loved C major, how it made her feel comfortable, at peace, free. I don't really know why, but at that moment I remembered something that I used to know when I was like three or something. She made me remember that everyone, and I mean everyone, is gorgeously magnificently, resplendently, beautiful. When she finished I looked around the class and saw that each person was full of loveliness. Each was unique and unrepeatable from the other. Some doodled, some were singers, some dancers, some found glory in the brain, some liked whip cream, some socks, some played sports, some always wrote about boys, some read strong and clear, some never spoke, some loved black, some wore makeup but were just as pretty without it, some had hair that stuck up, some wore golden necklaces, some blushed, some were eternally tan, some were afraid, and all were one of a kind beautiful.**_

_**It's silly. I know. But it is true.**_

_**I love you son.**_

_**Just be your best.**_

Sonny set the paper down on the couch, tears in her eyes. The paragraph about hanging on to your parents had really gotten to her. Especially since Chad didn't have any parents to hang on to anymore. He didn't have _anyone_to hang on to.

Except… except for her.

Chad kicked the coffee table in front of him. He had tears silently coming down his cheeks. It was the first time Sonny had ever seen him cry.

Without permission, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her.

He cried into her shoulder, unable to stop the tears from flowing.

There was nothing he could do but hold on to her.

Hold on to the last person in the world he had.

The last person in the world he loved.

**Chapter 4 is coming soon! :)**


	4. Unexpected

**THANK YOU GUYS SOOOO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! Please keep em' coming! ;)**

**The story is going somewhere you – hopefully – weren't expecting! Let me know if you like the new twist or if it's just weird.**

**And now… for the chapter you've all been waiting for… Chapter 4... is HERE! **

"Don't leave me here alone," Chad whispered, grabbing onto Sonny's arm as she stood up off the couch to go home.

Sonny bit her lip in surprise. Chad had never seemed so vulnerable, so desperate… so in need. She sank back down into the low cushions.

"Do you… want me to stay?" she asked quietly, fiddling with a stray strand of hair.

Chad nodded. "Please…"

Sonny turned away, not wanting to look into his gorgeous eyes for fear of falling under the spell that he had often cast on her. Every time she looked into his eyes, his rich, blue eyes she felt something…

"I'm going to have to call my mom," Sonny whispered, flipping open her cell phone. The time stared up at her like a snake.

"Oh my gosh!" she gasped. "It's after 1:00 in the morning! And…" she skimmed through her messages, seeing that her mom had texted her six times and called her another four times.

Sonny dialed her home phone, not worried about waking up her mother. She knew Connie Munroe well enough to know that she wouldn't be in bed when her daughter hadn't come home.

"Sonny? Oh, is that you?!" Her mother sounded relieved and apprehensive on the other end. "Is Chad alright? What's happening?!"

"I'll explain later, Mom, but right now… Chad needs me. Can I stay over at his house?"

There was silence on the other end.

Sonny chewed her bottom lip, praying her mother would say yes, for Chad's sake. She sighed.

"It's not like we're going to-"

"No, no, I wasn't worried about that," her mother lied. "Just… be careful, okay? I trust you."

"You should," Sonny growled into her cow-skinned iphone. "Sleep well. G'nite."

She hung up before her mother could say good night back. Sonny turned back to Chad, who had a weak attempt at a smile on his face.

_Poor Chad, _she thought. _If I lost my mom I'd be devastated. Even though we fight sometimes, I really do love her. A lot._

"I don't want to go upstairs," Chad said, staring in the direction of the creepy stairwell. "There's two couches… we can sleep down here, if that's okay with you. Although… I'm not really tired."

Sonny slid her iphone back into the pocket of her skinny jeans. "Yeah, me either." She moved over to the other couch and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. Chad did the same on the other couch. They laid in a position on the two couches to where neither could see the other.

"Sonny?" Chad said, reaching for a blanket on the coffee table.

"Yeah?" she asked, pulling the sheet up to her chin.

Chad sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair, than began. "Sonny, I don't exactly know how to say this… Well…" he rolled over on the couch, fiddling with his watch. "I don't want us to be… enemies anymore."

Sonny sat bolt upright on the couch. That was the _last _thing she had expected Chad to say. Sure, she had just cooked him dinner and they had gone the last six hours without fighting, which was unheard of, and yes, he had wanted her to sleep over at his house, and to stay with her, but… she had definitely NOT been expecting him to ask to be friends.

"Chad, I…" Sonny bit her lip, struggling for the right words. "I'd…like that."

Chad smiled into the dark, satisfied. "Good."

"Good," she said back.

"Fine." He said, grinning, for old times' sake.

Sonny realized the game he had started. "Fine," she said, struggling not to laugh.

"Good."

"Good."

"Good night," he said at last, leaning into his pillow.

"Good night," she said back.

They laid in silence for several minutes before Chad spoke up.

"Sonny?" he asked, sighing again.

"Yes?" she murmured. She had nearly drifted off to sleep when he started talking again.

"I wonder why… why my dad knew to leave the watch and the note on the table. He didn't give it to me… it was just sitting there when I came back from the hospital."

Sonny's eyes flew open. That, too, was unexpected.

"R-Really?" she asked, shifting her pillow so she could sit up.

Chad nodded in the dark. "Yeah. I mean, I know they were going on vacation, but it was only for a week. It just strikes me as odd that he… you know, decided to leave give me the watch THEN." He paused for a few moments. "It's just… I mean it's almost as if…"

Sonny chewed her lip. "As if he knew…he was going to die…" She said it as a statement, not a question.

There was an eerie silence in the living room.

Chad swallowed. "Yeah."

**Sooooo what'd you think? It's turning into a mystery HAHA! Do you like it?!!? PLEASE review! THANK YOU SO MUCH! **

**CHAPTER FIVE COMING SOON! **


	5. The Watch's Secrets

_**I am totally LOVING all the reviews I'm getting! You have no idea how much fun it is to come home and have like, twenty reviews in your inbox! PLEASE keep on reviewing! :) Anyhoo, sorry for the long wait on chapter 5. Hopefully it'll live up to expectations. **_

_**But for now… here it is!!!**_

Chad got up and turned on the lights, realizing that sleep wouldn't come.

Sonny sat up on the couch, confused. "Chad… I don't understand. Are you saying that your father… predicted his own death!?"

Chad fell into the couch, sighing. "I don't know WHAT I'm saying, Sonny! I just… I don't know."

Sonny pulled at a lose string in the woven couch. "Let's say, hypothetically, that he DID know he was going to die. Why wouldn't he have done anything to stop it?"

"That's what I don't get," Chad mumbled. "If he couldn't save himself, he would have at least tried to save Mom."

Sonny sat, pondering the whole situation. "It's impossible," she said at last. "The note must have just been a coincidence."

Chad stared at the floor. "Yeah… Must've been."

*

Sonny and Chad sat side by side on the left couch, each armed with a notebook and a pencil, a bowl of extra-buttery popcorn between them, and Chad's Mac Book Air resting on the coffee table in front of them. They were writing down possible scenarios.

"I mean, there was no OCCASION for him to give me the watch. My birthday was over seven months ago, and there aren't any holidays coming up," Chad said in between bites of popcorn.

Sonny ran her fingers over the clasp of the watch. "It's really beautiful," she murmured. "This just doesn't make any sense…"

She thought for a few moments, munching on some popcorn. "Chad…" she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "Did you actually SEE your parents at the hospital?"

Chad shook his head. "No… When I got there, they said it was too late. The doctor told me that the bodies were completely… tattered. He said that they were sent for c-cleaning."

His eyes glazed over with unshed tears, but he blinked them away when he saw the distant look on Sonny's face.

"What?" he asked.

Sonny pout her feet up on the foot rest and took another bite of popcorn. "Don't you think it's just a little odd that… that they wouldn't let you see the bodies? No matter what shape they're in, I mean… you're their SON. They should have at least asked you if you wanted to see them before… sending them off."

Chad stared at the silver watch on his wrist. He slid it off, running his fingers over the smooth exterior. "Yeah, it is a little strange… however they did show me the car."

Sonny blinked. "What?"

"The car. It was all bashed in. The drivers' seat was smashed into the dashboard, and… blood was all over the place…" His voice trailed off. "My mom's purse was there, too. It must have slid in the crash, because it wasn't under the seat where she normally puts it."

Sonny bit her lip. "Maybe it wasn't in the normal spot because the accident was…" She paused. "Well, the accident could have been STAGED."

Chad drew in a sharp breath, and in surprise dropped the watch to the floor. Sonny's hands flew to pick it up, but before she could, the face of the watch popped open, revealing a hidden compartment inside.

*

Sonny and Chad exchanged glances. Sonny carefully reached down and picked up the watch, carful to make sure all the contents were still on the inside.

"What is it?" Chad asked, leaning forward on the couch to see what the watch contained.

Sonny shrugged. "I dunno. It looks kind of like a… a microchip."

"What? Come on, my dad's a banker. What use would he have for a _microchip_?" Chad folded his arms across his chest, dubious.

Sonny inspected the small object. "I think the real question here is what's ON the chip," she said quietly. "And why, exactly, it was in the watch that your father gave to YOU."

Chad stared at the watch like it was a cock roach. "Are you sure that isn't just a part of the watch system? I mean…"

"It's an analog watch, Chad," Sonny said. "It doesn't have half as many parts as the digital kind. And trust me, this is a microchip."

"Can we just stick it into a computer and see what's on it?" Chad asked, taking the watch and the chip from Sonny.

Sonny shook her head, thinking. "No… we'd have to find a special connecter. You can plug the connector into the computer, and put the chip in the connector."

Chad nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah… But where are we gonna get one of those?"

Sonny bit her lip. "Um… maybe a used computer parts store? I mean, this is the 21st century. How hard can it be to find a converter?"

"I thought you said it was a connector."

"Whatever! The point is, it can't be that hard to find."

Sonny stared down at the chip. "Chad… did your dad ever wear this watch?"

"Yeah, every day. He told me a few months ago that when the time came for ME to have the watch to never to take it off. I didn't really know why; I just thought it was because it was important to the family. But I guess now we know the real reason…" He sighed, running his fingers through his wavy blonde hair.

Sonny nodded. "Yeah. But if your dad had a microchip, he MUST have had a conver- connector somewhere. I mean, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to store information on it at all."

"But… but maybe he wasn't the one storing the information," Chad said, still staring at it. "Who knows."

Sonny leaned back into the couch, all desire for the buttery popcorn now completely gone. She pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to process all the sudden information.

"Do you think the accident was staged?" Chad whispered, bringing back up the original question.

Sonny shook her head. "I don't know."

_**SOOOOO what'd you think? PLEASE review! Constructive criticism welcome! :)**_


	6. Microchip ConverterConnector

_**THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS! Here's chapter five **_

Sonny flipped pancakes on Chad's stove for an early breakfast. She fought back a giant yawn; they hadn't slept all night. She turned around to see Chad asleep on the couch and smiled to herself. He was almost… cute, laying there by himself.

Her grin faded when she realized he was probably exhausted from the horrible events of the weekend.

She had created a stack of around ten or twelve pancakes which she figured would be enough for the two of them. She turned off the stove and put the leftover batter in the fridge for later.

Chad woke up suddenly, lurching forward in the couch. He whirled around to see Sonny, standing frozen above him with a plate of steaming pancakes.

"Wha-… Sonny? Pancakes? Wha?" His vision blurred as he tried to remember where he was and what had happened.

"Sssh, Chad, it's okay. You just had a bad dream," she said, setting down the pancakes and rubbing his shoulder. "Do you want any breakfast?"

"Yeah!" He jumped off the couch and rushed over to the table, nightmare clearly forgotten.

"Oh my gosh, Sonny, these are the best pancakes in the WORLD!" he exclaimed with his mouth full.

Sonny stifled a giggle as syrup dripped down his chin and onto his skin-tight black shirt.

After their breakfast, she quickly cleaned up and joined Chad on the couch with his laptop.

"I guess we should just search on microchip converters," Sonny suggested, having no idea where they were going to find such a thing.

Chad's fingers rested on the keyboard, but didn't type anything into the Google search box.

"Sonny," he said carefully. "Don't you think… maybe we should go to the police?"

Sonny considered this option. "But what would we tell them? 'Hey, we found this microchip in a really expensive watch, my parents died but we don't exactly know how… oh, and someone staged their death in a car accident'?"

"We THINK it was staged," Chad said, correcting her.

Sonny rolled her eyes.

"But yeah," he continued, eliciting the eye roll, "I get what you're saying. They wouldn't believe us, and they wouldn't be much help. All we gotta do is find a microchip converter… connector… thingy."

Sonny nodded, her eyes glinting as an idea popped into her head. "But I think I know just the person…"

"You want a WHAT?" Zora's head appeared from outside the sarcophagus in the prop house.

"Come on, Zora, you have _everything_related to computers! You managed to get Tawni, Nico, and Grady's pictures on the internet in a matter of seconds. I'm sure you have a microchip converter around here SOMEWHERE or at least know where to get one." Sonny folded her arms over her chest, demanding a favor in return for all the snippy remarks, spying, and grief Zora had caused her over her time at So Random.

Zora sighed, reluctant to leave "Gnomey" and her coffin. "Fine, fine," she grumbled. She took off in the direction of her small dressing room in the far corner of Condor Studios.

Sonny and Chad were amazed at how fast Zora was for her small size. They had to nearly run to keep up with the strange 11 year old, and were panting when they arrived at her bizarre dressing room.

"Here," Zora said, handing Chad a thick business card. "I know a guy."

Chad stared at the paper. "A phone number?"

Zora shrugged. "It's the best I can do. Good luck. BYE!" And with that, she darted back towards the prop house.

Sonny and Chad exchanged glances.

"Um… okay…" Chad said.

"At least she didn't ask us WHY we needed it," Sonny said, being optimistic as usual.

"Yeah. But come on, let's call this guy. I'm DYING to know what's on this chip."

Chad pulled out his black iphone and punched in the number. It rang a few times before a gruff man answered the line.

" 'Ello?" he grunted, crunching what Chad assumed to be a potato chip in his mouth.

"Um, yes, I was um, wondering if you sell used computer parts." Chad ran his fingers through his hair and hooked his thumb on his belt loop as he always did when he was nervous.

"Shore do. But only if yer' over 18," the man cackled.

"Oh, that's uh, no problem. My…" he glanced at Sonny, who was staring back at him intently. "I'll be there with my… wife in a few minutes." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sonny's face flush and her eyes widen. She looked like she was about to punch him.

"Uh, yes, sir. Mmhhm. Yes, well, I've been told I have a high voice. No, it's not a disease," he groaned, irritated. "YES, I'm over eighteen, Sir. Look, we'll be there soon. GEEZ!"

He hung up the phone, frustrated.

"Your WIFE!" demanded Sonny, standing on her tip toes to glare at him.

"He said he only sold us equipment if we're over 18!" Chad protested, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

"Oh my gosh," Sonny groaned, grabbing the sleeve of Chad's leather jacket. "Come on, let's just go before he calls back with any MORE questions."

Chad pulled his convertible into the parking lot of the building. He squinted in the sun, trying to make out the letters at the top of the dilapidated store.

"Are you sure this is the right address he gave you?" Sonny asked, staring at the shop, equally confused.

"This is it," Chad murmured. "Come on, let's go inside. Keep your hood over your head and your sunglasses on. Do you have the fake ID I gave you?"

"Yes, Chad. But what scares me is the fact that you _have_this fake ID. PLEASE tell me you've never had to use it before," Sonny said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Relax, Munroe, I've never had to use it before." Chad stopped, realizing his word choice. "I mean, I've never NEEDED to use it before because I'm never… in situations where I would… need one. Yeah," he stammered, hoping Sonny understood and didn't get the wrong idea.

Sonny narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't say anything as she followed Chad into the store.

The man from the phone sat in front of a tiny computer monitor, surrounded by candy wrappers, chip bags, and peanut shells. He set down the carton of ice cream he had been eating from and struggled to get out of his chair. His face was chubby, and when he stood up they could see he was extremely obese.

His tattered Hawaiian shirt was draped loosely over his body, and several buttons were missing. He reeked of cigarettes and week-old alcohol. He coughed into his hand, then extended it to Chad and Sonny.

"I'm Joe Tate," he wheezed, his voice dripping with the effects of a long time smoker.

"Uh, pleased to… meet you." Chad shook his hand hesitantly, as did Sonny. He glanced down at his fake ID.

"I'm… Frank Appleton, and this is my wife… Maudie." He could hear the ridiculousness of the names even as he said them.

Joe seemed to believe it, though, so Chad continued. "I was wondering if you had a… microchip converter. You know, one that you can hook up to your computer through a…" He looked to Sonny for clarification, who nodded, "Through a USB port?"

Joe rummaged in his desk, pulling out a worn key. "It unlocks the door back there," he said, pointing to the back of the store. "Look around. If you find anything, bring it back here."

Sonny and Chad nodded, then ran off into the back room.

Sonny drew in a sharp breath. They were surrounded by rows upon rows of mangled wires, broken keyboards, and countless other computer parts. Luckily, she knew exactly what she was looking for.

"Over here," she called to Chad from the other side of the room. Her voice echoed off of the concrete walls, causing her to grin. She hadn't heard an echo since her trip to the mountains with Lucy back in Wisconsin.

"I found it!" she squealed, holding up the small cable.

"That's it?" Chad asked, dubious as neared her. He touched the cord, as if to make sure it was real. "I mean… that's really all it is?"

Sonny smiled. "Yup. You just put the microchip in here." She pointed to the small slot on the opposite end of the cord. "It should work on your mac."

Chad grinned. "Awesome."

They walked back over to Joe, who was still eating the ice cream. He looked up upon seeing them.

"Find everything alright, Mr. and Mrs. Appleton?" he asked, extending a half eaten bag of peanuts. Chad shook his head wildly in refusal, as did Sonny.

"Yep, we found exactly what we were looking for," Sonny said, trying not to be disturbed by the piggish habits of Joe Tate.

He rang up the cord on a flimsy scanner and stuffed it into a brown paper bag. He started to hand it to Chad, but stopped.

"I'm gonna need to see proof of ID," he said expectantly.

Chad and Sonny handed him their fake ID cards, praying that he would fall for them.

Joe squinted, staring at the cards. "Hm… Get a new haircut since this photo, Maudie?" he asked, laughing.

Sonny gulped. "Uh… yes."

He stared at the IDs for a few more seconds. "Yeah, sure," he muttered to himself, handing them the bag. "Come back now, y'all!"

Sonny and Chad nodded a hasty "Sure thing, Mr. Tate," before nearly running out the door.

"That guy is creepy beyond BELIEF," Chad exclaimed once they were safely back in his convertible.

"I know…" Sonny shuddered. "But step on it, Chad. We've gotta find out what's on this chip!"

**Did you like it? **

**CHAPTER SEVEN COMING SOON!**


	7. The Chip's Riddle

Sonny chewed her lip anxiously as Chad booted up his laptop. "CAN'T THAT THING GO ANY FASTER!" she wanted to scream, but she managed to control herself by tapping against her jeans impatiently.

"Geez, macs are slow!" Chad groaned in aggravation as the small apple appeared on the screen.  
Finally, FINALLY, the operating system for the microchip converter showed up on the screen.

"Insert chip," the lady's voice on the computer demanded. "Insert chip."

"WE DID ALREADY!" Chad yelled, grabbing the other end of the wire and holding it up to the screen. "SEE!"

"Insert chip," she said again.

"Don't tell me it's defective…" Sonny ran her fingers through her hair. "Hang on, lemme try something…"

She took the microchip out of the slot, blew on it, then put it back in.

"Registering," the mac lady said. "Processing."

"It's something," Sonny muttered.

"Registering. Processing."

Sonny and Chad exchanged glances, waiting…. Waiting….

"Password Required," the lady said at last. "Please enter password."

Chad stared at the blinking curser. The empty space to type the password glared back up at him.

"Do you have any idea what your parents might have used as a password?" Sonny whispered, realizing that they were so close and yet so far from seeing the contents of the chip.

Chad closed his eyes for a moment, then let his fingers fly over the keyboard as he made a wild guess at the password.

"Processing."

Chad and Sonny held their breath as the lady on the mac took her sweet time checking the password.

"Access…"

Chad and Sonny's eyes widened.

"Access Denied."

"WHAT!" Sonny screamed, jumping up. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" She turned to Chad. "Chad, you MUST have some other idea of what the password could be! Come on! Don't you know!"

Chad sighed, running his fingers through his thick hair. "I've got one more idea," he said hesitantly, staring at the keyboard as if unwilling to enter it.

He took a deep breath, then typed _ChadDylanCoooper_into the password space.

"Seriously, Chad?"

He grinned sheepishly at her. "It's the last thing I could think of!"

"Access…"

Their attention was turned back to the screen. The mac lady paused.

"Access… Accepted."

Sonny's mouth fell open. The password was _Chad Dylan Cooper?__**CHAD DYLAN COOPER!**_

"What I tell ya?" Chad smirked, returning to his usual cocky self.

"It doesn't matter. JUST OPEN IT!"

Sonny's eyes followed the cursor on the screen as Chad's fingers moved over the track pad.

"Here it is," he said to himself as he clicked on the document. It popped up before his eyes, reading:

_**What you are reading  
Is not what this says  
Your eyes are not moving -this way**_

_**What you are seeing  
Is not what I write  
You may only see what you expect to find**_

_**What you are wanting  
You can find over [here]  
Stop. Wait. Now it's gone [here]**_

_**What you are feeling  
You won't find there  
Unless you really, truly care**_

_**What you are missing  
Is in your lap  
This stanza alone is a three second trap**_

_**What you'll do now  
Is read the below  
But the unread above, means you won't know**_

_**Because what you are reading  
Is not what this says,**_

_**So,**_

_**Who are you? And why so afraid?**_

Chad's eyes met Sonny's as the two stared blankly at the screen.

"What….the….heck," Chad said, his voice rising with every word, "Does… that… MEAN?"

Sonny blinked, trying to make sense of what they saw before them.

How in the WORLD did such a weird riddle relate to the death of Chad's parents?


	8. Another clue

_**What you are reading  
Is not what this says  
Your eyes are not moving -this way**_

_**What you are seeing  
Is not what I write  
You may only see what you expect to find**_

_**What you are wanting  
You can find over [here]  
Stop. Wait. Now it's gone [here]**_

_**What you are feeling  
You won't find there  
Unless you really, truly care**_

_**What you are missing  
Is in your lap  
This stanza alone is a three second trap**_

_**What you'll do now  
Is read the below  
But the unread above, means you won't know**_

_**Because what you are reading  
Is not what this says,**_

_**So,**_

_**Who are you? And why so afraid?**_

Sonny stared at the riddle, reading it over and over again. "Alright, let's take it stanza by stanza," shesuggested. "Ya know. Examine each line carefully."

Chad nodded, clicking "Print" so they could each have their own copy to mark on and examine.

Sonny studied her paper carefully, tracing a few words with her highlighter.

"I wonder what this part means," she mused, glancing over the paragraph that read "You may only see what you expect to find."

Chad, meanwhile, seemed mesmerized by the 5th paragraph.

"What you are missing is in your lap, this stanza alone is a three second trap," he muttered to himself. "A three second trap… lap…"

Ideas swirled in his head like a flock of mosquitoes. He read the whole riddle several times, but he always seemed to come back to that stanza.

"Sonny," he said finally. "What do you think of the fifth stanza?"

She glanced down at her paper. "I dunno. I can't figure out ANY of this stupid thing."

"But… a three second trap," Chad said again. "It's interesting, cuz that was a book that my dad used to read to me almost every night when I was little. Yeah, we'd go up to my room and I'd sit on his…"

He froze. "Lap. I'd… I'd sit on his lap. Reading the "Three Second Trap." His gaze shifted over to Sonny. "I have to find that book."

Chad flew up the stairs, not caring that it was creepy and freezing cold. He barely touched the floor as he ran over to the pull-down ladder that led to the attic in the ceiling. Sonny helped him pull the rope, and slowly the ladder folded down with a thud on the gray carpet.

He grinned mischievously down at Sonny as he made his way up the stairs. "I used to sneak up here when I was in trouble. It was sort of a… hide out for me, I guess."

Each step squeaked with the sound of his sneakers as he made his way up. Once at the top, he fumbled around for a light switch.

"Ah," he said as the light burst forth from a surprisingly small, single bulb at the top.

He searched through dozens of boxes before finding the one that he was looking for.

"Here we go," he said down to Sonny, who was peering anxiously up at him from the bottom of the ladder. "Chad's childhood," he said, reciting the name of the label on the box.

There were a ton of things Chad would have liked to go through, but the most important thing was, obviously, the Three Second Trap.

He slowly picked it up from its resting place in the box. He blew off the dust and coughed as it somehow recoiled back to his face.

He climbed back down from the ladder and shut up the attic before sitting down on the couch upstairs to read it.

Sonny watched over his shoulder as Chad opened the small children's book. He held it up to his face to begin reading when suddenly something fell out.

He reached down and snatched up the object, realizing it was a folded piece of parchment paper.

Unfolding it, he read aloud:

_**My son,**_

_**If you are reading this you've discovered the clue that I left in the riddle. I knew only you would be able to decipher it. Do not show this to anyone, for it is valuable information that cannot fall into the wrong hands.**_

_**Now then, you must know by now that we are not dead. At least not yet.**_

Chad stopped reading, glancing at Sonny. "They're alive," he whispered, before turning his attention back to the note.

_**Your mother and I have been keeping something from you for a while.**_

"Ya think?" Sonny muttered.

_**I'm not actually a banker, and your mother isn't really a nurse. We are scientists, and we have created something that everyone wants. Power. We have been studying genetic mutations in rodents and insects, but we have found a way to take that and alter the mutation in humans. In simpler terms, we've created a way to make super humans, with inhuman abilities.**_

Chad stopped, his heart pounding in his chest. His parents had been lying to him all his life? About something this BIG? But why?

_**We didn't tell you because we didn't want you to get hurt. But now, it seems, that it is too late for that. They're after us, and the formula. They are Genesis.**_

"What's Genesis?" Sonny butted in.

Chad shook his head. "There's more."

_**Genesis, by definition, means the beginning, or the origin. Of course they call themselves Genesis. They are trying to use the altered mutation to start a new world, a better world, or so they say, of super humans.**_

_**But Chad, you must know that this is not what we made it for. We made it for the good of mankind, to be used in special surgeries to save lives, not take them away from people.**_

_**Even if we do not survive, you will. You will find a way to protect the formula and destroy it, for it is not worth the cost of lives to keep around any longer. Don't worry, Chad, you will find it. You will find the light.**_

Chad felt as though his heart would stop beating. He handed the letter to Sonny, letting her scan the perfect handwriting of his father.

"What does he mean, find the light?" Sonny finally asked.

Chad stared blankly in front of him. "I don't know, Sonny." He shook his head. "I don't know."


	9. Grilled Cheese Sandwich

"I officially have no idea," Sonny said at last, throwing her hands in the air. "I don't have any clue whatsoever what 'find the light' means."

Chad sighed. "Neither do I. I've been trying to cram the pieces together, but it's not like a puzzle where you can just hit it with something and it will fit. I don't even know what the next piece IS."

Sonny let her fingers run through her brown curls. "We've got to be missing something," she said. "There's no way that the trail just stops there."

"Unless… Unless my parents were… t-taken before he had a chance to leave the next clue," Chad said bitterly, his voice cracking on the word "taken."

"That's not what happened, Chad," Sonny said, sitting back down on the couch next to him after having been pacing back and forth.

Chad's lips curled into a weak smile. "Are you trying to convince me or yourself, Munroe?"

Sonny looked up at Chad, her brown eyes meeting his bright blue ones. "Both," she whispered.

"It sure was nice of you to make me this grilled cheese, Sonny. Thanks."

Chad looked down at the plate in front of him, watching the freshly cooked sandwich sizzle. It was completely pitch black, and the cheese fell off in charcoal chunks. They had been talking while the sandwiches were cooking, and Sonny had forgotten to keep an eye on their lunch. It had resulted in a near burning down of the Cooper mansion, a reassuring phone call to the fire department when they had called upon hearing the alarms sounding, and a severe scraping of the blackness into the sink which had not entirely worked.

"You don't have to eat it, Chad," Sonny called from inside the super-sized pantry. "I'll happily make you another one."

"Uh, no… no, that's okay!" He said hastily. "Don't worry about it, it's fine."

He picked up the stuff sandwich, eyeing the contents suspiciously. It had the potential to be a really great sandwich if not for the… blackness.

Sonny appeared from the pantry, armed with several boxes of crackers, some chips, and cheese.

"I used to LIVE off of this stuff back in Wisconsin," Sonny said, grinning.

Chad seized a box, scanning the nutrition facts. "I AM Chad Dylan Cooper," he said, narrowing his eyes. "I have an image to protect. I can't be eating this stuff!"

Sonny glared back at him. "Fine. But you have to eat the black sandwich, then!'

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Good!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Sonny turned on her heel to make her usual dramatic exit, but didn't count on a sudden gust of wind through the open window blowing the pantry door open and smacking her right in the face.

Chad made no effort to hide his snicker.

She turned around, staring him right in the eyes. "Listen, Chad Dylan Cooper…" Her voice trailed off as she struggled to find the right words. She opened her mouth to say something but Chad suddenly burst out laughing.

"Geez, Sonny, I was kidding!'

Sonny's face twisted into several emotions. "Wha… What?"

"I was kidding. I mean, I DO have an image to keep up, but I'm sure it'll be fine to eat this." He gestured to the food Sonny had placed on the table. "Just this once, anyway."

Sonny's red lips formed a small 'o' as she sat down at the other end of the table. "Right."

Chad laughed to himself at how easy it was to fool Sonny. He was like the puppet master. He could make her laugh or make her become furious with his words alone.

They sat in silence, munching on the snack food.

"Chad," Sonny said at last, lacing her fingers together. "Do you think… Do you think that 'finding the light' has something to do with… Genesis?"

Chad clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, thinking. "Well, I think so. What else could it be?"

Sonny paused. "I'm not sure. I guess technically it could be anything. Your father doesn't seem to have any problem making things difficult for us."

Chad grew serious, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He was trying to avoid… unwanted visitors from finding 'it', whatever 'it' is. I suppose it is the formula to the… well, you know," he said slowly.

Sonny nodded solemnly. She knew as much as Chad did that whatever had become of his parents- dead or alive- that Genesis and whoever else wanted the formula would stop at nothing to get their hands on it.

Chad slowly bit into a cracker, categorizing the buzzing thoughts in his head.

_It just doesn't make any sense,_he thought. _How am I going to find the next clue? IS there a next clue?_

**Thanks for all the reviews I love them! And I'm trying to respond to all of them, so if you have any comments/questions/concerns/criticism, feel free to let me know and I will get back to you. Promise. Thanks, guys! Next chapter will be up soon.**


	10. Middle of the Night

**Alright! This is the first chapter of CTE since the hiatus. Hope you enjoy it, even though it's not very long. **

_Find the light…_

Chad paced back and forth in his living room, shooting occasional glances at Sonny who was lying asleep on the couch. _Find the light, find the light… what the heck does that MEAN?_

He realized after several minutes of pacing that he was hungry. It was the middle of the night, and so as not to wake Sonny, he tiptoed to the kitchen and reached for the flashlight that was hanging on the wall. He flicked on the switch, aiming it in the pantry.

_That's odd,_he thought. _This thing was working just fine a few weeks ago. Maybe it needs new batteries._

He popped open the battery compartment, dumping the old batteries in his hand. He fumbled in a drawer until he could find a new pair, and was about to put them in when he noticed something pressed against the bulb of the flashlight. He reached into his pocket and grabbed a pen, digging into the bulb until finally the object fell to the tile floor.

Picking it up, he realized it was a small piece of paper that had been folded several times until it was a tiny square. With trembling fingers, he darted back into the living room, shouting , "Sonny! Wake up! I think I just found our next clue!"

Sonny sat up groggily on the couch, rubbing her eyes. "Huh? Wha? Chad?"

"Look!" Chad shoved the piece of paper at her, letting her open it. Her fingers removed the thin layer of dust surrounding the paper, and with a little bit of force, it unfolded.

"Chad, it's…" Sonny began, staring at the paper. "The instructions." She threw the paper at Chad, rolling her eyes. "I can't believe you woke me up for THAT!"

"Well, SORRY! I thought it was our next clue…" Chad's voice trailed off as a very annoyed Sonny irritably grabbed the blanket and covered her face with it.

"Go to sleep, Chad. We can worry about this more in the morning."

Chad swallowed, staring at the instructions to the flashlight.

"Yeah, I guess so."

**I'm sorry this is so short! I promise the next one will be longer. I just wanted to get this up before I forgot :) Next chapter coming soon!**


	11. Skylight

"You know," Sonny remarked thoughtfully from behind the screen of her iphone, which she was currently tapping, "it's interesting how much more serious your dad is in the clues than he was in the first letter."

Chad looked up from the magazine he had been reading. It was getting close to 11 P.M, and he figured they should probably head to bed soon. "What?"

Sonny set her iphone down on the couch and traced a pattern in the flannel pajama pants she was wearing. "Well, I mean, your dad sort of talked like a teenager in the first letter. He said 'whatever' and 'like, three, or something' and things like that. It's not a bad thing, or anything!" she added hastily, upon seeing Chad's expression. Her gaze softened. "I guess it's just weird because my dad never came close to… well, I dunno."

Chad's mouth formed a bizarrely firm line. "My dad's young," he said, staring at the carpet. "He's only thirty three."

Sonny tried to keep her jaw from dropping. "But… but you're seventeen!"

Chad looked up from the carpet. "I know. He was only sixteen when he knocked my mom up. I guess that makes him a little more hip than most of the older dads." His face was still masked with a weird expression, an interesting blend of sadness and something else. "But he's crazy smart. Hence the whole mad scientist thing."

Sonny didn't exactly know how to respond to that. "My father died when I was fourteen," she finally said softly, offering random trivia by way of answer. "Only a year or so before I auditioned for So Random."

Chad's eyes were back on the carpet again. "Sonny… why did you? Audition, I mean."

She thought about this for awhile. It was an interesting question that she wasn't sure she herself knew the answer to. "I wanted a new start," she said after a long pause. "When my dad died, it was like my whole existence, my entire reason for being, just sort of… fell away. I basically crumpled. I thought I would never be able to get past it." She took a deep breath, looking past him rather than at him. "Acting," she said after a pause, "I thought, would give me…well, a reason. A job. Something that I could wake up to every morning and know was always going to be there, always consistent. Of course, now that I look back on it, most of that was probably subconscious. I had always wanted to be on television, anyway." She was still past Chad, her eyes appearing to see something much different than the bright blue walls of his living room.

Chad processed this, watching Sonny stare at something he couldn't see. "That's… deep."

She didn't smile. "Yeah."

There was a ponderous silence, almost deafening in the still house. This was the third night Sonny was spending with Chad; the third night since the accident. Her mother still hadn't entirely come around with her staying with him, but Sonny had reassured her that it would only be for a few more days.

_Yeah,_she thought darkly. _IF we find Chad's parents in a few more days._

Chad stood up from the couch and started in the direction of the kitchen. "Hey, I'm gonna grab a late night snack before we go to bed. Want anything?"

Sonny yawned, unfolding herself from the couch. "Yeah, sure. You got a lot of food in there for just the thr-"

She stopped, realizing what she was saying. Unable to make a recovery from her bumble, she simply shut her mouth and followed Chad into the kitchen.

The two frenemies had ordered in for almost every meal, with the exception of Sonny's attempt at cooking, so it was the first time Sonny had seen the kitchen lit by anything other than natural light. It looked different somehow, but she couldn't quite place why.

Sonny opened the door to the pantry and giggled to herself as she saw faint pencil marks on the back of the door.

"Chad," she laughed, motioning him over. "Is this where you used to measure yourself?"

His cheeks flushed scarlet, and his hand tried to nonchalantly cover the tallest mark on the door, reading "Chad- 17."

"Uh, huh yeah, yeah, I _used_to," he sputtered, always oh-so-cool. "But now that I'm older, I've realized that obsessing about your height… it's dumb."

Sonny smirked, not letting on that she had seen the last mark on the door. "Right."

"Yeah," Chad continued, still blumbering on, "Every time I'd measure myself, I'd always jump and try to touch the ceiling, knowing that I was a little bit taller." He stopped, looking up at the skylight in the center of the kitchen. "Course, I never could get all the way up there."

Sonny peered up into the skylight, smiling to herself. She hadn't even noticed it before. Perhaps that was why the kitchen looked different – this was the only time of day when it hadn't been lit by natural light.

"Can you see the stars through it?" she asked, tilting her head back to get a better look at it.

Chad squinted. "I'm not sure… I don't think so." He swallowed. "You know, it always used to creep me out when I was little."

Sonny turned, arching a perfect eyebrow in disbelief. "Chad Dylan Cooper, afraid of a _skylight_?"

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants. "I didn't understand that it was still a roof. I thought stuff could get in here. You know, rain… burglars."

Sonny made no effort to hide her laugh. "You must have been an interesting kid, Chad."

He patted her shoulder gently. "Oh, like you were never freaked out about anything when you were a kid."

She shrugged. "Wisconsin doesn't have much to be afraid of, other than cows. If you don't watch out, they'll moo you to death." She smiled playfully at him.

He returned the smile, and the two stood, staring up at the skylight together for a long while.

"Chad," she said suddenly, breaking the silence after several moments of peace. "Do you ever have to clean this thing? Cause it looks like there's some dirt up there, or something."

He hoisted himself on top of the island in the kitchen that was directly beneath the skylight. "Let me see," he said, standing on his tip toes to peer up at it. "There shouldn't be, because there's just a piece of glass here at the bottom…" his voice trailed off, and he swallowed, hard.

"Sonny," he said quickly. "Get me a flashlight."

"Why? What do you see?" she asked, fumbling behind her for a flashlight. She found one, handing it up to him.

He shone the light up at the top of the glass, blinking as it reflected back into his eyes. He stood there on top of the island, examining the bottom of the skylight for several moments.

"Well?" Sonny called from the kitchen floor. "What's going on? Chad?"

"Oh, my God," he responded horrifically, staring up at the skylight. "Sonny… there's something embedded in the glass."

**Dun Dun Dun ;)**


	12. In The Garage

**Thanks for reviewing, guys!****I really appreciate it. Hope you like this next chapter!**

"What is it!" Sonny whispered, her bare feet shifting impatiently on the tile floor of Chad's kitchen.

Chad's voice was equally low, as if someone else was in the house with them, and could hear them. "It looks like letters or something, but I can't make them out. We're going to have to take the glass out." He crouched down and hopped swiftly off the island and onto the floor, starting in the direction of the garage.

"Take the glass out!" she hissed, scurrying behind him as he practically jogged through the mansion. "But Chad, that'll mean there'll be a gaping hole in the roof!"

He stopped abruptly, whipping around and meeting her gaze head-on. "Look, Sonny, do you wanna know what happened to my parents?" he snarled, a side of him she had never seen before coming out unexpectedly. " Do you wanna know how to get them back? Cause I sure as hell do."

She swallowed, fighting the temptation to take a step back. It was the first time she had ever heard Chad curse before, or seen him this heated.

The fiery look was still in his eyes, almost possessing his face. "The only way we're gonna be able to do that," he whispered softly, drawing in a shaky breath to calm himself, "is if we take the glass out. And I don't care if I have to rip it out with my bare hands, I'm _going to get it out_."

Sonny swallowed. "I-I don't think you'll be able to rip it out with your bare hands," she croaked.

In response, he turned on his heel and strode the rest of the way through the enormous house to his five car garage.

Sonny tried not to dwell too much on the darker side of Chad she had just seen as she followed him into the huge garage, focusing instead on helping him find a decent sized ladder and tool box.

"What tools do you need to take a piece of glass out of your roof?" Sonny wanted to know, hoisting a fifteen foot extendable ladder down from its hook on the wall of the garage.

"The thing is, we don't wanna shatter it," Chad said slowly, running a hand over his chin in thought as he stared up at the wall of assorted tools.

Silence once again overtook the garage, the only sound that of the wind blowing heavily against the metal doors, creaking and groaning in the middle of the night.

"Chad," Sonny whispered, so quietly she wasn't sure he would be able to hear her, but the sound echoed off the concrete floors and walls. "What's the plan?"

Chad, hunched over a tool box, stood up straight, turning around to face her, eyes almost glowing in the dark garage, a case of screwdrivers in his hand. "What are you talking about," he said, not as a question, but as a simple, flat, lifeless statement.

"I mean," Sonny said, still in a whisper, "What happens when we find your parents? _IF_ we find your parents? Let's just say, for a minute, that embedded in the skylight is a map. Alright? And this map somehow leads to where your parents are. Or something. Even if we find the clue, even if we find the next HUNDRED clues, you can't just go bursting into the bad guys' lair, all by yourself, expecting that these crazy Genesis people are just going to hand you your parents! They're obviously out of their _minds._ This whole thing is like some weird science fiction novel, and we just – w-we can't…" Her voice, having risen with every sentence, was now back to a small, infinitesimal whisper as she paused, her big brown eyes looking up at him. "What are you gonna_do_, Chad?" She stopped again, swallowing, the surprising sensation of unshed tears welling up, blurring her vision. She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes, the emotion of the last few days seeming to catch up with her, right now, in this moment.

Chad waited for Sonny to calm down, cold, motionless, and unmoving. He didn't know what to say to her, so he said nothing at all, instead watching the girl in front of him tilt her head back, trying to stop the tears. The November breeze whisked through the cracks of the garage door, causing both of them to shiver. But even as the outside of Chad's body was freezing, his heart warmed a little bit as he watched Sonny. She was still standing there, hands over her eyes, motionless, almost as if the breeze had frozen her right to the ground, barefoot on the icy cement.

"Sonny," he said softly, gently setting the tool box down on the floor beside him. That was all he said. He walked over to her, hesitating a minute, hand outstretched. Gathering every last scrap of courage left within him, he reached out and touched her shoulder, so softly and slowly that he was unsure whether or not she would even notice. But, to his great surprise, her hands dropped down from her eyes and wrapped themselves around him, pulling him into a hug.

Sonny was no longer focusing her attention on not crying in front of Chad. Instead, she was screaming obscenities in her mind at herself for hugging him. What was she THINKING? These weren't even _her parents._Chad was the one who should be crumpling right now, not her.

"Sonny," he said again, only this time, into her shoulder. His arm, dangling awkwardly at his side, now rose up against her back to pull her closer to him. His voice shook, and he feared that he, too, might break down and cry. "You've been… so strong," he whispered, shutting his eyes and closing his fist around the fabric of her hoodie as he hugged her, "for me. Now… now I will try, as best as I possibly can…" Here he drew in a shaky breath, feeling his heart sliding up into his throat as he finished his sentence, choking out, "to be strong for you."

He hid his face in Sonny's shoulder, and she did the same to him.

And with that, Chad finally cried.

He cried because he knew Sonny was right. He cried because he knew that the two of them, by themselves, could do nothing to help his parents. He cried because of the hopelessness of their situation. And he cried, really, _truly_ cried, for the first time in a very, _very_ long time.

Yes, he had shed tears after he read his father's letter. Yes, he had held onto Sonny and softly sniffled as she rubbed his back, comforting him. But now?

Now Chad _wept._

He hid his face in Sonny's shoulder, and she did the same to him. For a long time, much longer than either of them could have imagined, they stood there, in Chad's garage, the wind howling and roaring outside, only a few inches of metal separating them from the harsh night air…

In each other's arms.


	13. The Laundry Room

A crack of thunder that shook the whole garage caused Sonny to jump, jerking out of Chad's arms. The walls rumbled around them, leaving the two teenagers alone with the storm and the stickiness of their drying tears.  
"God," she whispered after the groaning of the garage door had subsided, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands and rubbing them together. "That was -"  
Before she had time to supply an adjective, another violent crash interrupted her. The garage door shrieked along with the wind, and a burst of chillingly cold air made both of them shudder.  
"Come on," Chad said, drying his eyes with the back of his hand. "Let's get out of here."  
He took her hand and sprinted across the cement floor, his bare feet now numb with the cold. Sonny, trailing along behind him as fast as she could, murmured softly, "When did it even start raining?"  
"Not sure," he said, leaping into the doorway as though something was chasing them. With a forceful shove from Chad, the door swung shut, drowning out the howling of the wind. They were standing in the laundry room, a small space illuminated only by a single, uncovered light bulb in the ceiling above them. Panting, they both looked down to see that their fingers were intertwined.  
"Er," Chad said, immediately wrenching his hand out of Sonny's and turning the other way, "Some thunder, huh?"  
Sonny looked down at her own hand, which felt warm from where Chad's fingers had been. She was surprised at how natural it had felt to have their hands locked together. Other guys had held her hand before, but it had never felt quite like this. Chad's hand, while it had admittedly been pulling her forcefully along behind him, had felt strong. It was warm, even in the midst of such an icy cold, the kind of warmth that had spread upwards into the rest of her body and enveloped her in heat. The good kind of heat, that is. The kind that made her stomach lurch, similar to the sensation you get when you skip a step going downstairs, but the kind that makes you feel so much safer and secure after the first initial feeling has passed. And most importantly, his fingertips fit perfectly in between hers.  
After a moment, she jerked her head up, peering at Chad and trying not to notice the redness in his eyes from the tears that had been there only moments before. "Um," she said, swallowing. "Yeah."  
There was a brief moment of silence as they stood there, Chad refusing to meet her gaze. Instead, he was examining the laundry machine beside them, as if he had never seen anything so interesting in all his life. Sonny shifted towards him, trying to get him to tear his gaze away from the stupid machine.  
He didn't.  
"Chad," she said softly, tugging at the strings on her hoodie. "Um..."  
He said nothing, still averting her eyes.  
Growing slightly irritated, Sonny finally grabbed his chin and yanked his face toward her, forcing him to look her in the eyes.  
"Chad," she repeated, this time more stiffly. "We need a plan."  
"Uh," he mumbled, her hand muffling his mouth so that the words that came out were barely decipherable. "Right. Yes, yes we do."  
Sonny removed her fingers from his chin, taking a step back. "Sorry. You were just... totally zoning out."  
"Yeah," he said, also stepping away from her and rubbing his hands together. "I do that sometimes."  
Another awkward silence followed as they stood there, watching each other. Chad slipped his hands into the pockets of his pajama pants, rocking backwards on his heels. Sonny coughed into the sleeve of her sweatshirt.  
After a moment, the silence was broken.  
"Chad," Sonny said softly, her left foot tentatively inching closer to him. "What's... what's going on?"  
He sniffed, rocking backwards again. "W-What are you talking about?"  
"I'm talking about this," Sonny whispered, this time taking a full step closer. "About us."  
Another step. Chad, whose mind was racing with too many thoughts to possibly single out one idea and address it, blinked rapidly as she neared him.  
"Um," he said, swallowing. She was getting closer now, so close that he could almost count the freckles on her nose. "I, well, -"  
Chad did not finish his sentence due to the fact that Sonny's lips were now on top of his as she kissed him softly. His eyes closed and he felt his mind suddenly go blank, the billions of thoughts that had previously been zooming around in his mind now gone, vanished. His hands inched out of the pockets of his pajama pants, and slowly, tentatively, crept upward until he had rested them on her waist, pulling her closer to him.  
Sonny's eyes fluttered behind her closed eyelids, her mind, unlike Chad's, inundated with one thought -  
Oh, my _GOODNESS._Why had they not done this before?  
Time seemed to halt around them, the timid pattering of the rain against the mansion's roof creating a soft, almost peaceful, background noise as they stood in Chad's laundry room, arms wrapped around each other.  
With absolutely no idea how much time had just passed, Chad and Sonny finally broke apart.  
"Whoa," he breathed, his strong arms holding Sonny close to him. "Where did _that_come from?"  
Sonny's cheeks reddened, and she turned away. "I... I don't really know." She bit her lip, not meeting his gaze.  
"Hey," he said softly, cupping his hands under her chin and pulling her face to him, just as she had done to him, only not half as forceful. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."  
Sonny blinked. "Oh." She swallowed. "Okay."  
Chad smiled, hugging her. "You're the one good thing that's come of all this," he whispered into her ear. "I can't believe how awful I've been to you in the past, how crappy I've treated you..."  
"No, no, don't say that," she whispered in return, her arms tightening around his muscular back. "It's okay, don't worry about it."  
"Of course, you would say that," he said, pulling away from her. A frown came over his face as he took a step back.  
Her expression grew quizzical. "What do you mean?"  
Chad shrugged, his eyes displaying an almost grim light. "You just aren't capable of seeing people for who they really are."  
Sonny's perfect eyebrows furrowed into a thin line. "What are you talking about? Of course I am!"  
"No, Sonny, you're not," Chad protested softly, removing one hand from his pocket to run it through his blonde hair. "You forgive everyone, no matter what they've done to you. I've been the world's biggest jerk to you before, but then I go crying in front of you and you feel so sorry for me that you kiss me just to make me feel better." Sighing, and tugging at his bangs, he opened his mouth to speak again, but Sonny cut him off.  
"Chad, that's not true at all_,_" she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "First of all, I _can_hold a grudge with the best of them, believe me. There's one person that I've never been able to forgive. As for me kissing you, I didn't do it because I feel sorry for you. I did it because -"  
She stopped, tightening her fingers into fists and not finishing her sentence.  
Chad looked at her expectantly, narrowing his eyes at her. "Because what, Sonny?" he said, almost jeeringly.  
"Because I love you, okay?" she burst out, throwing her arms into the air and letting them fall back down with a huge flopping noise against her flannel pajama pants. "I have loved you for quite a long time, and I knew that you never felt the same way about me, so I just didn't do anything about it and I tried to be as nice as I possibly could to you in the hopes that maybe, one day, you might find that somewhere, buried incredibly deep inside you, is some eensy weensy, microcosmic although highly unlikely possibility that you could feel some sort of unmotivated and completely unrealistic attraction to me, and I -"  
"Sonny!" Chad snapped, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "Sonny, shut _up,_okay! Shut up, shut up, shut up!"  
"Why?" she retorted, ignoring his hands on her shoulders. "Don't you tell _me_to shut up, you big -"  
But before she could finish her sentence, there was an enormous crash from the kitchen.  
And it wasn't thunder.


	14. Courage

**I'm so sorry for my lack of updating! I'm terrible, I know. But I'm trying to put the finishing touches on this story and get moving on the sequel Hope you guys like it. My sincerest apologies for the delay!**

Chad's fingers tightened protectively around Sonny's shoulder blades.

"Wha-" she started to say, but he removed one hand and clapped it over her mouth.

"Sshh," he hissed, watching her eyes widening above his palm, her murky brown pupils gradually enlarging into dark orbs of concern. "They're here."

Sonny looked as though she wanted to ask who, but remained silent as Chad slowly tiptoed past her and began creeping towards the kitchen.

"Stay here," he whispered when she moved to follow him, waving her off with his hand. "Lock the door and stay in here."

"No!" she hissed, stepping forward. "I'm not gonna let you go out there and throw yourself into the arms of the enemy -"

"Keep your voice _down_," he snapped in a hoarse whisper, turning around and gripping her shoulder once more. Upon seeing her fearful expression, his gaze softened, and he carefully moved his hand down from her shoulder until his fingers slid into hers and formed a tight, unified fist.

"Sonny," he whispered, taking his other hand and placing it protectively over their joined fingers, "I love you too."

"Y- You do?" she breathed, scooting closer to him and staring imploringly into his brilliant blue eyes.

"Yes," he said softly, taking his free hand and placing it on the left side of her face, brushing away a stray lock of her hair. "Which is why I couldn't live with myself if anything were to happen to you, if you were to be hurt or abused or taken by these people, whoever they are -"

But Chad was not given a chance to finish his sentence, because suddenly another crash echoed throughout the first floor of the Cooper mansion, causing Chad to jerk away.

"I'll take care of this," he whispered, and before Sonny could protest further, he slipped around the other side of the door.

Her vision blurring with terrified tears, Sonny attempted to force her mind into submission, pressing her shaking firsts to her temples, trying to gather her composure. _Get it together, Sonny, _her mind screamed at her. _Do something._

Her right hand found its way into her back pocket, where she retrieved her cell phone and dialed 9-1-1 with trembling fingers.

The dial tone against her cheek was shrill and deafening, piercing through her panic and bringing her back to her senses. It rang twice before a cheerful young woman answered.

"9-1-1 emergency, how may I help you?"

Sonny's throat tightened with anxiety, her ability to speak temporarily hindered by the fear that she could not seem to fully shake. She coughed once, a singular noise that immediately resonated throughout the thin walls of the laundry room, frightening her even more as the possibility of someone detecting her presence suddenly occurred to her.

She shook her head, willing herself to calm down. "Uh, I, I – I need help," she managed to croak out in a constricted whisper. "I'm at the Chad Dylan Cooper mansion with Chad, and someone has broken in. To the mansion, I mean. M-My name is Sonny, Sonny Munroe, and I'm –"

"Ma'am, I'm going to need an address," the woman on the other line simpered, her voice still eerily cheerful. "An exact location. Do you know where you are?"

"I-I'm at the Chad Dylan Cooper mansion," Sonny whispered again. "Don't you know where that is?"

"Ma'am," the woman said, her optimistic tone beginning to fade, "I need an address."

"Well, i-it's.. I don't know. It's near Condor Studios. Somewhere. Do you know where that is?"

"Never heard of it, ma'am. I do need an address, though."

"Can't you just trace the call?" Sonny hissed, her fear beginning to dissolve into agitation. "I don't know an exact address!"

The woman sighed, and a beeping noise suddenly replaced her voice for a few seconds. "What's the nature of your emergency?" she asked, once they were re-connected.

"Someone broke in!" Sonny repeated, flabbergasted with the operator she was speaking with. "I just told you that!"

"I'm going to need you to remain calm, ma'am," droned the woman, all positivity now drained from her voice, instead leaving an apathetic monotone in its place. "Now, I've sent a squad car to the residence of a Matthew and Jennifer Cooper, parents of the tween heartthrob Chad Dylan Cooper."

"Yes, yes, that's right, thank you," Sonny breathed, relief beginning to wash over her. "Thank you, I –"

Suddenly, another crash reverberated throughout the downstairs, and Sonny could hear raised voices.

"I have to go, Chad's in trouble," she breathed into her cow-skinned iphone. "Thanks for your help."

"Ma'am, I need you to stay on the line – " protested the woman on the other end, but Sonny had already hung up and was beginning to tiptoe out of the laundry room in the direction of the raised voices, which were coming from the kitchen.

As she crept silently through the hallway, ignoring the way Chad's voice, desperately begging her to stay in the laundry room where she would be safe, kept plaguing her thoughts, she came across a mounted katana sword on the wall beside her.

She had stopped immediately in her tracks, staring at the sword – which happened to be surrounded by many other renaissance-era weaponry - and briefly wondering what on earth the Cooper family did in their spare time, when the sound of shouts and breaking glass made its way through the kitchen and down the hallway, where it found her.

Without thinking, she grabbed the sword from its place on the shelf above her, sliding it out of its sheath and thrusting it out in front of her in a braced position. She was not sure what good it would do her, as it was almost too heavy for her to hold out straight, but she knew that she had little choice.

Chad needed her.

With an inhalation so deep it almost made her cough, Sonny swallowed once more, pushing her fear down into the depths of her throat. _You can do this, _she told herself, clenching her fists tightly around the hilt of the weapon. _You've got this._

And, without any concern for her own well-being, only that of Chad's, she moved silently down the hallway, carefully tiptoeing towards the kitchen, where she knew death could be waiting – and yet, somehow, summoning the tenacity to approach it anyway.


	15. Captured

Sonny's footsteps kept time with her heart beat as she crept towards the kitchen, sword trembling in front of her. She felt her chest cavity expanding with every step closer, and her throat started to close with fear.  
On the other side of the door, she heard voices.  
"Sit down!" It was a brusque man, probably a chain smoker. "Devon, bind his wrists."  
There was a scuffling sound, followed by a few protesting grunts from Chad. Sonny leaned against the doorway, closing her eyes. She had no idea what to do.  
For a few moments, the only sound on the other side of the door was footsteps, the noise of someone irritatedly pacing back and forth. Then, the gruff man spoke again. "There are two ways we can go about doing this, Mr. Cooper. You can tell me what I want to know, and I'll kill you quickly." There was a smacking sound, like a bat hitting against wood. "Or you can run your mouth with your dramatic gibberish, and I'll beat the hell out of you until you're cooperative."  
Sonny's eyes flew open, her grip on the sword tightening. Slowly, carefully, she applied an infinitesimal amount of force from her shoulder to crack the swivel kitchen door open a fraction of an inch, just enough to allow her to see what was going on.  
There were three men, each with their back to the door, surrounding a wooden chair in the center of the kitchen. In the middle of that chair, bound in constricting duct tape cuffs, was Chad, writhing and struggling to escape.  
His resistance was, of course, futile, and the man that had spoken previously tossed the bat onto the island of the kitchen, behind him. He approached Chad aggressively, bending down so that their eyes were at the same level.  
"Tell me what I want to know," he whispered maliciously, and when he smiled, a clear yellow tint to his teeth was revealed.  
Chad gritted his teeth and gazed directly back at the man in his face. "I don't know anything," he said hoarsely. "I don't know what you're talking about." He reeled back as the man hit him, hard, his face forming a mask of pain. His attacker spat in his face, and Chad's eyes closed with disgust.  
"Here's the thing, Mr. Cooper," the man said as he stood up, turning on his heel away from Chad and picking up the bat from the island beside them. "No one knows we're here. No one knows where you are, because everyone thinks you're in the custody of social services. No one knows where your parents are except for us, and no one will have any idea where to look for your body after we kill you. We have all the time in the world, you and me, right here in this lovely kitchen of yours, and I intend to savor every moment of it." He wet his lips with his tongue, and Sonny immediately thought of a snake - a conniving, slithering, manipulative serpent.  
_You're wrong,_ she thought, her fist clenching around the handle of the sword. _You don't have very much time at all, before the cops get here._  
Chad's face hardened with a miraculous stoicism, and as she watched his face from the shadows, Sonny suddenly realized that he looked just like his father. She had seen him standing by at Makenzie Falls season premieres and banquets, and she had almost dismissed the man who awkwardly stood by and watched his son. But now, as she herself watched him, she saw bravery and composure stretched over his gaunt features. There was not a trace of fear in his tan, handsome face. He was braced, and prepared.  
The two other men that had been standing by shuffled off into the hallway leading out of the kitchen, towards Chad's parents' bedroom, and Sonny inhaled suddenly, hoping they would not circle around and find her in her hiding place. The perilousness of the situation seemed to hit her suddenly, as though someone had just smashed a brick against her forehead. She inhaled silently, trying to get a grip on herself.  
"I'm only going to ask you once more before this bat takes a smashing to your pretty little forehead," snarled Chad's attacker. "Wouldn't that be bad for your ratings?"  
Sonny watched as he picked up the bat, twirling it in his fingers. She had to do something. But what could she do?  
"Lying will do nothing but prolong the inevitable. Just tell me what you know and this will all be over quick."  
Her pulse quickened, pushing against her skin urgently. Think, her mind screamed at her. Think!  
There was a smacking sound as the bat hit the island threateningly, and Sonny jumped.  
"I always hated Makenzie Falls and everyone on it," growled the man. "Too much drama."  
"Luckily, you're not our target audience," Chad snapped back, and as the man's fist flew out to smack his face, Sonny pulled away from the door suddenly, unable to watch.  
But what she wasn't counting on was the sudden movement that the swivel door would make in response to hers.  
The man stiffened, whipping around to face the door that separated Sonny from her imminent death. He gripped the bat harder and pushed through the kitchen doorway, charging right past Sonny.  
Seizing the opportunity, she jumped out from her hiding place, making frantic slashing motions with the sword, but was unable to control it. She fell to the ground as the force of the bat hit the sword in her hands, and the man grabbed her by her collar as she gasped.  
"Sonny!" screamed Chad from the kitchen, unable to see her. He struggled again, resisting and pulling against his constraints with all his might. "Sonny, I'm coming, hold on!"  
Sonny gasped for air as she was pushed through the kitchen door, collapsing in a heap on the tile in front of Chad's chair as their attacker kicked her to the floor.  
"Now we've got a little insentive," simpered the man, reaching down to grab Sonny's shirt, and ripping it open in the process. "Maybe Chad will talk if his little girlfriend is on the line." He smiled down at her, kicking her when she groaned in fear. "Shut up," he scowled at her, grabbing Sonny and throwing her onto the counter, easily overpowering her meager efforts to resist, taping her mouth shut with duct tape. When she tried to rip it off, his huge paw of a hand flew around her wrist and twisted forcefully to the right, causing her to cry out.  
"Please, stop!" Chad begged, pulling at his restraints. "Don't hurt her!"  
The man's fingers traced Sonny's back carefully, finding their way all around her body, and he ripped her shirt open, exposing her. Again, she struggled, but he was three times her size, easily possessing control. He slapped her across the cheek, and she groaned.  
"I don't know anything," Chad pleaded, trying to kick his legs free. "I swear, I don't. Don't hurt Sonny, please. Please don't hurt her."  
Their captor smiled maliciously down at the beautiful teenage girl before him, his fingers exploring every part of her body. "Wrong answer," he laughed, not looking at Chad. "I think you can do better than that."  
Sonny writhed beneath the man on top of her, pressing her down against the counter. "Perhaps we just have to up the ante a little, hmm?"  
His sadistic grin grew wider as his thumbs worked their way into the back of Sonny's jeans, and against the duct tape, she screamed, still struggling.  
"Stop!" yelled Chad as the man began to remove Sonny's pants. "Stop, stop, I'll tell you. I'll tell you where it is, just let her go, please." He hung his head, swallowing hard and looking over at the girl he had grown to love. "Please."  
Still pushed against the island by the man on top of her, Sonny managed to turn her head to look at Chad, and their eyes met. She knew he had nothing, that whatever was about to come out of his mouth was a huge bluff that would probably get them both killed. But she still saw that bravery on his face, reflected in the pools of blue that made up his eyes. She knew he was doing it for her.  
Their ape of an attacker looked down at the girl struggling beneath him. She was so beautiful.  
"Very well," he said, turning to Chad, still not releasing his grip on the girl. "That's more like it. Where is the lab?"  
"Take your hands off her," Chad snarled in response, leaning forward as much as his bindings would allow in order to glare defiantly at the man standing above him. "Let her go."  
He laughed as Sonny tried to kick him. "Let her go running straight to the police? No, I don't think so."  
"Looks like it's a little late for that," Chad said, and amidst the pain and the fear on his face, Sonny caught the unmistakable trace of a smirk on his face. Struggling to turn her head, she fought to shift her position, and as she did so, she caught a glance upward at the skylight above them...

... Just in time to see three SWAT team police officers slide down from the ceiling, two bust in through the kitchen door, and hear the echo of, "LAPD! Drop your weapons!" resonating all throughout the Cooper mansion.

**Hope you liked the latest chapter! Please do me a huge favor and follow me on twitter and instagram at beccazsongs :D Next chapter up soon!**


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